Nigeria’s IVF Industry faces regulatory crisis as lawmakers, doctors expose risks.
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…experts demand urgent legislation to curb exploitation, protect surrogate mothers, children …as Circle Mom Fertility Foundation offers 10 free IVF slots By Joseph Erunke, Abuja Nigeria’s rapidly expanding assisted reproductive technology industry is facing growing scrutiny over alleged unethical practices, exploitation of vulnerable women and inadequate safeguards for couples seeking children, as medical experts, lawmakers, lawyers and mental health advocates demand urgent legislation.
The stakeholders, speaking at the first anniversary of Circle Mom Fertility Foundation in Abuja, warned that regulatory gaps in in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), surrogacy and other assisted reproductive procedures leave patients, surrogate mothers, donors and children vulnerable to potential abuses.
They called for enforceable laws, stronger professional standards, affordable treatment and specialised fertility counselling, while the foundation announced plans to offer 10 free IVF treatment slots to deserving families. Dr Joseph Haruna Kigbu, a medical practitioner and former member of the House of Representatives, warned that Nigeria could no longer rely on general healthcare laws and private agreements to regulate the increasingly complex fertility industry. Kigbu, who previously sponsored a bill seeking to establish a regulatory authority for assisted conception, said the proposal encountered resistance during a public hearing, partly from some practitioners and religious groups. He argued that ethical and religious concerns should not prevent the country from establishing safeguards for patients and children.
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